Senate Republicans unveiled a budget resolution on Wednesday, as the GOP seeks to move forward with the budget plan that will enable them to implement President Donald J. Trump’s agenda later this week. The Senate Budget committee released the 70-page budget resolution on Wednesday, which would serve as a blueprint, directing congressional committees to craft their own proposals to hit spending targets, increasing or decreasing funding by adjusting programs and policies that fall under their purview. The plan is a key step toward implementing the president’s priorities on border security, defense, energy and taxes. It aims to make the 2017 tax cuts permanent, along with authorizing $1.5 trillion in additional tax cuts, while raising the debt ceiling by as much as $5 trillion. The blueprint is a compromise resolution that comes after a key meeting between Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and top tax leaders last week. Though House and Senate Republicans had previously forged ahead with their own budget blueprints in recent weeks, the two chambers must adopt the same budget plan to continue on in the reconciliation process — a complicated maneuver that allows Congress to bypass the 60-vote threshold typically required to advance legislation in the Senate.
Majority Leader Thune wants to adopt the budget resolution on the floor this week, allowing the House to try to adopt it next week before heading home for a two-week Easter recess. The Senate could take a vote as soon as Thursday to begin consideration of the blueprint, kicking off a marathon session known as a vote-a-rama that could spill into the weekend before a final vote. The Senate budget resolution would give committees until May 9th to write their portions of the massive bill. Separately, the Senate Finance would have until May 16th to propose how to increase the debt ceiling.
For today, the Senate is taking up passage of H.J.Res.24, providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Energy relating to “Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Walk-In Coolers and Walk-In Freezers,” Motion to discharge S.J.Res.33, providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed foreign military sale to Israel of certain defense articles and services and Motion to discharge S.J.Res.26, providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed foreign military sale to Israel of certain defense articles and services.
The Senate is also expected to vote on confirmations, including confirmation of Executive Calendar #46, Dean Sauer, of Missouri, to be Solicitor General of the United States, Confirmation of Executive Calendar #53, Mehmet Oz, of Pennsylvania, to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Confirmation of Executive Calendar #47, Harmeet Dhillon, of California, to be an Assistant Attorney General.
The Senate may also proceed to H.Con.Res.14, Budget Resolution.
Full list of President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs.
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Declares National Emergency to Increase our Competitive Edge, Protect our Sovereignty, and Strengthen our National and Economic Security.
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Closes De Minimis Exemptions to Combat China’s Role in America’s Synthetic Opioid Crisis.
Regulating Imports with a Reciprocal Tariff to Rectify Trade Practices that Contribute to Large and Persistent Annual United States Goods Trade Deficits.
Further Amendment to Duties Addressing the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China as Applied to Low-Value Imports.
Adam S. Olsen, Washington, D.C.
